InBloom

This romantic wedding featured unique florals and rich green magnolia leaves. The peeks neon on the bridesmaids and green apples on the tables brought a pop of color to the crisp November weather. Hosted on a peninsula, The Chart House in Lakeville, MN, boasts both a beautiful ceremony and reception site. Studio 220 Photography did not disappoint. I know Elissa & Tyler will cherish the photos for years to come!

Elissa is a bride with many talents. One of the most mentionable is her love of mermaids and the business she started recently where she acts as a mermaid for birthdays and other events around the Rochester area. She is a beautiful woman with an even more beautiful heart!

The venue is quite possibly the most important. All things flow from there. Have a specific date in mind? Possibly a play on numbers like… 9.9.19? The venue is likely booked a year out so get to work and find a unique venue that sets your wedding vision on fire.

2. Appropriate budget allocations - Most people overlook this step. They list of the things the want to spend the most on but forget about the things that bring elegance to the wedding. Florals give you just that. Now don't get me wrong, most people can't [read shouldn't] afford a Pinterest style wedding which on average cost over $30k in florals alone, so realizing what you want to afford is a huge step.

3. You're HOT - Appreciate your body and all it does for you. Stop stressing out over your image. You. Are. B>E>A>U>tiful! While we believe in curating a healthy lifestyle and working on self, give yourself a break. If you don't fit into that size [fill in the blank] dress... don't sweat it. Order your size and if by some miracle or extreme hard work pays off for the final dress fitting - GREAT - You did it. If not, give yourself one less thing to worry about because planning a wedding is hard work and guess what - You deserve to be happy during the planning process, not hating yourself.

4. Let it go! Are you worrying about the guest list or that tiny detail about the tables and the seating arrangements or escort cards that you can't deal with because it is such a silly detail? Just choose to let it go. Which leads me to the next step number on the list…

5. Delegate. Most likely you have a family member or friend who by default loves to help. Let them. Share with them the details of your big day and what it looks like in your mind. Share a Pinterest board with ideas pinned on it and then play Rihanna’s song “Work” and check back in a few days/weeks depending on the timeline you and your helper agreed on.

6. Realistic expectations - Killer band and a great caterer make all the difference. Happy tummies, with kid’s meals for the kiddos to save a little extra cash, and a great band or DJ are a recipe for all night fun and will ensure you have people there at the close of the night for your sparkler send off.

6+.Meet with the Caterer ahead of time. Talk about the pros and cons of buffet vs seated. Which option allows for s’mores or pizza bites for a late night snack?

6++.Discuss playlists with your DJ and make sure they know you aren’t interested in the chicken dance or Macarena. Do you want to entertain requests or stick to a set? Believe me, if it is all hashed out prior to the night of, you will enjoy it so much more.

7. Documentation - Videography and photography. There are some amazing phones out there that take great pictures and videos but honestly, enough cannot be said for just accepting that a true photographer or videographer should never be replaced. Listen, they are in this business because they are addicted to the images of love and the special looks they catch on camera. Late night editing and feeling constantly drained and behind are not the drivers for them. They are GOOD. Nah, they are AHHMAZING [millennials read ‘lit]. Oh and always opt for a second shooter at least for the getting ready and ceremony. It is so worth it to get those angles. The glance during the vows. Your dad wiping a tear. Those are the things you want to remember. For this, we have a wonderful list of vendors we’ve personally worked with. Please please please, don’t hesitate to ask, we will gladly share.

8. LICENSES - Look, every major change involves a bit of paperwork and making sure you have yours with time to spare is important, not to mention the fact that having pictures of you and your new hubby signing it during your ceremony is great for blackmail…. I mean, memories. Be sure to grab a marriage license from the County plus order several verified original certificate copies for things like passport renewals and name changes. I always seem to need more one more, so make sure to get plenty.

9. Marital advice books - Dive into the self help books. You can tell pretty quickly whether or not it is worth it to you but one I definitely wouldn’t skip is the “5 Love Languages” by Gary Chapman. It talks about how people can “fall out of love” because they acted in different ways when they were dating but then in marriage, with the challenges and many transitions that come along, communication becomes very important. If you don’t want to read it prior to the wedding, at least buy it now and set it on your bedside table. It’s short. Maybe down the road when your new hubby is traveling or your darn Aunt Flo is visiting, you can pick it up and finish it in one sitting. Then later, maybe you’ll revisit it when/if you feel you need to. One thing is for sure, with the divorce rate like it is, it never hurts to do a little research and gain a little self-help along the way.

10. HONEYmoooon - Go big or go home - The average $$$ spent on a honeymoon ranges but in general can cost around $4-5K. My thought is that life only gets more complicated with work and if we are wanting and lucky, a growing family. It gets harder and harder to spend the money and post wedding is a great excuse to do so. With that in mind, there are a few tricks to saving for and on a trip. To save for, think about opening an Acorns account. Or maybe you can each save an extra $50-100 per paycheck. Go to your payroll department and ask to fill out a form that allows you to stash that money away each paycheck. Before you know it, and obviously depending on how far in advance you start saving, you will have a rip of money to spend on a big trip. Not engaged yet but at that point in your life where you are sick of swiping left or right and ready for a serious relationship. I get it, I was there, well not actually since Tinder was about 5 yrs later but, start saving for a vacation now. If it doesn’t end up being your honeymoon, don’t sweat it. You are way ahead and will have an awesome time not worrying about the cash for a last minute trip to Iceland or Mexico.

Saving on the trip is great too and I can already tell might end up in another blog post. All-inclusive. Say it with me…… “All Inclusive”! All inclusive resorts are the bomb.com and often will offer you specials for being there on your honeymoon. We stayed at the Secrets resort in Jamaica and had a 30 minute spa treatment included, dinner on the beach, champagne arrival with snacks and desserts galore. We loved it and the plane trip wasn’t a bank breaker either (like the trip to Phuket, Thailand would have been).

Bring $2 bills for tipping. This is a great travel tip in general but before you leave, head to the bank (some banks require you call ahead) and exchange your dollar bills for $2 bills. For one, they are perceived as lucky because they aren’t as widely used, and secondly, if you carry less cash, you have less cash on you which may help deter any pick-pocketers.

10+1. In-laws - Are you choosing to build walls or gardens. This one is tough but in reading a book and listening to podcasts recently, I learned that in a lot of relationships, the strain with the “in-laws” is premeditated and a stereotype that runs rampant in office buildings, friend groups, neighborhoods, and the list goes on. This is one of those things that can cause strain on your relationship. So grab the bull by the horns and choose to be happy. Choose whether you want to build gardens with defined paths (everyone needs boundaries) that can be weeded and adjusted through the changing seasons of life or if you need to set some serious boundaries. Not a lot of good can come from building walls. Walls are meant to keep people out and a successful relationship curates the love of family. All family is important. Be loyal and honor your partner by truly believing that they are who they are, not to mention the one you love and are marrying, because of the family they keep. Be authentic and forgiving and above all else, show love and understanding. If all else fails, at least try to communicate.

Bailey and Brandon choose Vail for their most special day. Classic whites and greens made a stunning and timeless statement. We used a variety of white roses, peonies, ranunculus, hydrangea and various eucalyptus to create Bailey’s bouquets.

When we first met Leiah she was wearing the prettiest shade of bright pink lipstick, the shade only 1 in 100 girls can actually pull off. Well she is that 1 in 100. Beautiful, funny and the sweetest girl. She had a vision, to create an amazing NYE party for 100 of her closest friends from all over the country. Disco balls, bling and vibrant colors created the most perfect NYE wedding.

Kaitlyn & Kyle's Fall Allenspark wedding was nearly perfect. Two hours prior to the wedding saw a heavy downpour and offered a bleak possibility for the outdoor wedding they had dreamed of. But out of nowhere the skies cleared, the sun emerged and these two walked down the aisle with the most incredible scenery and the leaves at their peak. Kaitlin loves fall colors and most specifically sunflowers. We were thrilled to be a small part of her special day.

There was not a single detail overlooked for Jessica & Chris's late fall wedding. From the extensive floral presence to the custom hot cocoa mugs, the sparkler exit, ice cream sandwich bar and the vintage Rolls Royce send away, Jessica and Chris entertained their guests to the very end. The venue was perfect and the whole day was an amazing success.

Sweet Megan and Bryan live in Texas but met in Boulder, Colorado. We were thrilled when they contacted us to do their October wedding. Megan's vision was bright and vibrant fall and we dove right in. The bright oranges and pinks mixed beautifully to create a fun and eclectic arrangement that really popped off the tables. No detail was overlooked including a backdrop of hundreds of paper cranes, delicately hand folded by the brides family, a doughnut wall and a groom's seranade of his bride.

Audrey is the sweetest, most kind bride. She came to us to do her flowers for her July 2016 wedding to her main squeeze Justin. She choose the Botanic Gardens for the amazing scenery and gorgeous gardens. Even the 90+ degree heat could not take away from this beautiful day! We created her bouquets to resemble a garden party. For her Wynkoop reception, Audrey opted for white and green floral boxes with lots of succulents to accentuate the deep dark wood and amazing hand carved bar. The fete was one to remember and we absolutely adored working with this precious family!

When I first talked to Sarah and Stephen, they were driving home from a day of skiing up in the mountains. Several dropped calls and fuzzy moments later, I knew they were a special couple. Extremely athletic, with a fierce college rivalry, it was easy to tell these two genuinely love being around each other.

Sarah loves tropical flowers, so we made her bouquet be the "artwork" at her Space Gallery wedding. We kept all other arrangements very neutral to allow the featured art to pop. This couple was awesome, the wedding was spectacular and all the vendors rocked. Congrats Sarah & Stephen!

Grand Opening Special - Minnesota

Last week, we announced that we would be exhibiting at the Twin Cities Bridal Show by The Wedding Guys. This week, we are proud to announce that we have officially begun booking for Minnesota weddings and events being held in Spring/Summer 2017 and beyond.

We know, we're new to the area and that can be kinda scary! We encourage you to read our reviews on Google, Facebook, Yelp or Wedding Wire. Our Minnesota team takes great pride in our ability to offer unmatched customer service to maximize your floral experience.

We don't discount. Why? We believe everyone deserves equal pricing and great value in their flowers. Our prices are attainable and affordable. We offer consistent pricing to everyone, no matter the day of the week or time of the year. However, we do offer a Grand Opening Special, only one time in the history of each location.

Beginning March 5th, we will offer a 10% discount or a complimentary toss bouquet for weddings and events booked within our first 6 months serving the Minnesota area. What exactly does that mean? Book a wedding, sign a contract and make a deposit, for an event (occurring any day within the next 18 months) and receive 10% off your quote OR a complimentary toss bouquet. Reserve your date any time between March 5th and September 5th 2017 to receive this discount. And when it's gone, it's gone forever!

Want to start the process? Click HERE to begin a preliminary quote and a member of our local Minnesota team will be in touch!

Miss M, might have been the kindest, sweetest bride. We had the pleasure to meet with her and her lovely sister at our showroom to pick out exactly what she wanted for her wedding day. Simple and classic Vail were her main requests. We used our signature reclaimed wood boxes and overfilled them with Peonies, Gardenia, Hydrangea & Roses all in pure white to really allow the natural Vail Valley scenery pop. Her maid's pink bouquets stood our perfectly against their rich navy dresses. You could feel the love everywhere on their day and we are so excited for M + J to enjoy happily ever after!

When we first met B, we were so excited to be working with her. She knew exactly what she wanted for her flowers and we were happy to oblige. She wanted a "New York Classic" Vibe and described her style as Charlotte from Sex and The City......can you tell why we instantly fell in love with her? Whites, pinks and no greenery. B and her momma are obsessed with peonies, I mean who isn't, right? We added some Dahlias, Roses, Hydrangea and Ranunculas to round out her look. A single pink carnation in her bridal bouquet to signify her college sorority and an Orange lily in her and her three sisters bouquets in remembrance of her late father.

In the past two years we have had the overwhelming joy of being a part of so many wonderful weddings and events. From Aspen to Vail to Colorado Springs, we have been blessed to travel all over Colorado, serving our brides and event hosts, curating and designing events, making dreams become reality.

We are thrilled to announce the opening of our second location in Minneapolis, Minnesota! Come March 5th we will begin serving brides, grooms and event hosts in the Twin Cities area! Yup, we're pretty excited.

Why Sunday March 5th? Well, we are excited to be a part of the Twin Cities Bridal Show by The Wedding Guys. In the area? Getting Married? Stop by and see what all the rage is about! We take great pride in sourcing only the highest quality, botanically accurate alternative flowers that look and feel just like fresh cut. Come by and see why Flintwood Floral has become bride's and event host's favorite little secret. With a savings of up to 50% over fresh cut, always in bloom and unmatched customer service, we hope to be just what you have been looking for.

We are passionate about helping others and the earth. We invite you to read more about our Eco-Mission and see why we are so passionate about what we do. Come by say hi, we would love to meet you. Want to get a preliminary quote for your Minnesota event? Click HERE to get started.